US3915436A

US3915436A - Self-clamping automatic air connection vibrator mount

Info

Publication number: US3915436A
Application number: US476892A
Authority: US
Inventors: Carl G Matson
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1974-06-06
Filing date: 1974-06-06
Publication date: 1975-10-28
Anticipated expiration: 1992-10-28

Abstract

Fixed clamp jaw means and movable clamp jaw means movable by piston and cylinder means receive a pneumatic vibrator therebetween, and a fixed connector member has a bore which slidably receives the air inlet nose portion of the vibrator. The piston and cylinder means and the bore are connectible to a common source of air under pressure whereby the piston and cylinder means are actuated for clamping the vibrator and air under pressure is transmitted to the vibrator for actuating the latter.

Description

United States Patent [1 1 Matson Oct. 28, 1975 SELF-CLAMPING AUTOMATIC AIR CONNECTION VIBRATQR MOUNT Primary Examiner-Harvey C. Hornsby [76] Inventor: Carl G. Matson, 401 E. Central Assistant Exammer {uan Cantor Blvd. Kewanee "1 61443 Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Johnson, Dlenner, Emrlch & Wagner [22] Filed: June 6, 1974 [21] App]. No.: 476,892 57 ABSTRACT Fixed clamp jaw means and movable clamp jaw means Cl 259/l 269/22; movable by piston and cylinder means receive a pneu- 269/25 matic vibrator therebetween, and a fixed connector [51] Int. GL2 B068 l/18;BO1F 11/00 emb h s a bore which slidably receives the air Field of Search 259/1 R, 72, 43; inlet nose portion of the vibrator. The piston and cyl- 269/20, 22, 25; 248/14, 15, 3 1R inder means and the bore are connectible to a common source of air under pressure whereby the piston References Cited and cylinder means are actuated for clamping the vi- UNITED STATES PATENTS brator and air under pressure is transmitted to the vi- 3,3s0,730 4/1968 Carver 269/25 braior for actuating the latter- 3,822,054 7/1974 Matson 259/DIG. 43 X 3,839,918 10/1974 Fischer 259mm. 43 x 5 Clams 2 Draw'ng F'gures "Li i SELF-CLAMPING AUTOMATIC AIR CONNECTION VIBRATOR MOUNT BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Pneumatic vibrators are commonly used, for example, to shake concrete molds for consolidating concrete, and to shake hoppers and the like for loosening material therein. Heretofore, vibrator mounts have been secured to the molds or hoppers, and a pneumatic vibrator with a short length of hose has been moved from one mount to another as required. Conventionally at each location, the vibrator is manually attached and secured to the mount by bolts, wedges, cams or the like, and the hose is manually connected to air conducting means leading to a source of air under pressure. After the vibrator has served its purpose, it is manually unsecured from the mount, and the hose is manually disconnected from the air conducting means.

These various operations require tools and manual effort, and are time consuming.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The vibrator mount of the present invention comprises a base, fixed clamp jaw means secured to the base and engageable with one side of a vibrator, and movable clamp jaw means mounted on the base and engageable with the other side of the vibrator. Piston and cylinder means are carried by the base for effecting movement of the movable clamp jaw means. A connector member is secured to the base and has a bore for slidably receiving the air inlet nose portion of the vibrator.

When the piston and cylinder means and the bore are connected to a common source of air under pressure, the piston and cylinder means are actuated for clamping the vibrator between the fixed and movable clamp jaw means, and air under pressure is transmitted to the vibrator for actuating the latter. The vibrator is fully released upon interruption of air pressure.

Prior to air actuation the vibrator is simply placed in the mount, and after air actuation the vibrator can be simply removed without restraint from the mount. Clamping and unclamping of the vibrator, and air connection and disconnection therewith, are automatic and almost instantaneous; no tools or manual effort are required to secure the vibrator in the mount, to unsecure the vibrator from the mount, to connect the vibrator to air conducting means, or to disconnect the vibrator from such means.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a bottom view of a pneumatic vibrator and the mount therefor of the present invention; and

FIG. 2 is a front view of the vibrator and mount of FIG. 1.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIIVIENT Referring now to the drawing, there is indicated generally by the reference numeral a conventional pneumatic vibrator, and by the reference numeral 12 a self-clamping automatic air connection vibrator mount embodying the principles of the present invention.

The vibrator 10 comprises a generally cylindrical housing 14 with an axial nose portion 16 in which is formed an air inlet passageway 18. In a manner well known in the art, the introduction of air under pressure into the passageway 10 serves to induce vibration of the vibrator 10.

The vibrator mount 12 comprises a base plate 20 to which are secured a pair of fixed clamp jaws 22 each presenting an arcuate face 24 formed with a pair of radially inwardly directed contact projections 26 and 28. Also mounted on the base plate 20 are a pair of movable clamp jaws in the form of levers 30. The levers 30 are pivotally mounted on a pin member 32 carried by a support block 34 secured to the base plate 20. The one end of each lever 30 presents an arcuate face 36 formed with a radially inwardly directed contact projection 38.

The pair of fixed clamp jaws 22 define fixed clamp jaw means; the pair of levers 30 define movable clamp jaw means or lever means; the pairs of

arcuate faces

24 and 36 define generally arcuate face means; and the three pairs of

contact projections

26, 28 and 38, which are circumferentially spaced approximately apart, define contact projection means engageable with the opposed sides of the vibrator housing 14.

Arranged between the base plate 20 and the other ends of the levers 30 are piston and cylinder means 40 for effecting pivotal movement of the levers 30. The piston and cylinder means 40 comprises a sleeve or cylinder 42 secured to the base plate 20, and a resilient cup or piston 44 slidable in the cylinder 42. The piston 44 is affixed to a web member 46 secured across the other ends of the levers 30. A passageway 48 is formed in the base plate 20 for conducting air under pressure to the interior of the cylinder 42.

Also secured to the base plate 20 is a connector member 50 which is formed with a bore 52 and a communicating aperture 54. The bore 52 has disposed therein a seal ring 56 defining seal means, and serves to axially slidably receive the nose portion 16 of the vibrator 10 with the air inlet passageway 18 of the vibrator 10 thereby placed in communication with the bore 52.

Conduits

58 and 60 connect the passageway 48 and the aperture 54 to a flow divider 62, a conduit 64 connects the flow divider 62 to a control valve 66, and a conduit 68 connects the control valve 66 to a source of air under pressure. Through these enumerated air conducting means the piston and cylinder means 40 and the bore 52 are connectible to a common source of air under pressure.

Operationally, the base plate 20 is suitably secured to the side of a mold or hopper to be vibrated. With the control valve 66 closed, there is no air pressure in the

conduits

58 and 60, and the movable clamp jaws 30 are free to pivot toward the position shown in dotted lines in FIG. 1. The vibrator 10 is then simply lowered between the fixed and

movable clamp jaws

22 and 30 to the position shown in FIG. 2 whereupon the nose portion 16 enters the bore 52 and partially compresses the seal ring 56.

When the control valve 66 is opened, air under pressure is conducted to the piston and cylinder means 40 for actuating the latter, and to the bore 52 for actuating the vibrator 10. More specifically, the air pressure entering the cylinder 42 urges the piston 44 outwardly causing the movable clamp jaws 30 to pivot to the solid line position shown in FIG. 1 whereupon the

contact projections

26, 28 and 38 securely engage and clamp the vibrator 10 in position. At the same time, air pressure in the bore 52 further compresses the seal ring 56 for establishing an air tight seal between the nose portion 16 and the bore 52, and air under pressure in the bore 52 is also transmitted to the air inlet passageway 18 for actuating the vibrator 10. Thus, clamping of the vibrator l and air connection therewith are automatic. Vibrations of the vibrator are transmitted through the mount 12 to the associated mold or hopper.

After the vibrator 10 has served its purpose, the control valve 66 is closed, air pressure is thereupon relieved in the

conduits

58 and 60, and the movable clamp jaws are thereby released from their clamping position. Unclamping of the vibrator 10 is thus automatic. The vibrator 10 may then be removed from the mount 12 by simply raising it therefrom, at which time the nose portion 16 is withdrawn from engagement with the seal ring 56 thereby effecting automatic air disconnection.

While there has been shown and described a preferred embodiment of the present invention, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various rearrangements and modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

The invention claimed is:

1. For use with a pneumatic vibrator having a generally cylindrical housing with an axial nose portion in which is formed an air inlet passageway, a selfclamping automatic air connection vibrator mount comprising a base, fixed clamp jaw means secured to said base and engageable with one side of the vibrator housing, movable clamp jaw means mounted on said base and engageable with the other side of the vibrator housing, piston and cylinder means carried by said base for effecting movement of said movable clamp jaw means, a connector member secured to said base and having a bore for axially slidably receiving the nose portion of the vibrator with the air inlet passageway of the vibrator communicating with said bore, and said piston and cylinder means and said bore being connectible to a common source of air under pressure whereby said piston and cylinder means are actuated for clamping the vibrator housing between said fixed and mov able clamp jaw means and air under pressure is transmitted to the air inlet passageway of the vibrator for actuating the latter.

2. The vibrator mount of claim 1 wherein said movable clamp jaw is in the form of at least one lever, said lever is pivotally mounted relative to said base, one end of said lever is engageable with the other side of the vibrator housing, and said piston and cylinder means is arranged between said base and the other end of said lever.

3. The vibrator mount of claim 2 wherein said fixed clamp jaw means and said one end of said lever present generally arcuate face means at least portions of which are engageable with the vibrator housing.

4. The vibrator mount of claim 3 wherein said arcuate face means are formed with radially inwardly directed contact projection means which are circumferentially spaced approximately apart and which are engageable with the vibrator housing.

5. The vibrator mount of claim 4 including seal means in said bore for establishing an air tight seal between the nose portion of the vibrator and said bore.

Claims

1. For use with a pneumatic vibrator having a generally cylindrical housing with an axial nose portion in which is formed an air inlet passageway, a self-clamping automatic air connection vibrator mount comprising a base, fixed clamp jaw means secured to said base and engageable with one side of the vibrator housing, movable clamp jaw means mounted on said base and engageable with the other side of the vibrator housing, piston and cylinder means carried by said base for effecting movement of said movable clamp jaw means, a connector member secured to said base and having a bore for axially slidably receiving the nose portion of the vibrator with the air inlet passageway of the vibrator communicating with said bore, and said piston and cylinder means and said bore being connectible to a common source of air under pressure whereby said piston and cylinder means are actuated for clamping the vibrator housing between said fixed and movable clamp jaw means and air under pressure is transmitted to the air inlet passageway of the vibrator for actuating the latter.

4. The vibrator mount of claim 3 wherein said arcuate face means are formed with radially inwardly directed contact projection means which are circumferentially spaced approximately 120* apart and which are engageable with the vibrator housing.